Nocera Terinese

Battenti di Nocera Terinese

Key to the interpretation of the phenomenon of these rituals is the concept of pain intended as an existential drama suffered by the certain layers of the population in southern Italy. It is in constant contrast with other models of societies totally foreign to them. The externalisation and the ritualism of the blood and pain allow these collectives to recover their own identities and inter-social compactness. These rituals constitute one of the moments of aggregation when they are performed in and by an entire community of people on different occasions.